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1 Lithium Battery Risk Assessment Guidance for Operators – 3rd Edition APCS/Cargo 16MAR2020

Lithium Battery Risk Assessment

Guidance for Operators – 3rd Edition

Introduction This document is based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 6 – Operation of Aircraft,

Part I – International Commercial Air Transport – Aeroplanes and the associated Guidance for Safe Operations

Involving Aeroplane Cargo Compartments Doc (10102), the ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport

of Dangerous Goods by Air (Technical Instructions) (Doc 9284) and the 61st Edition of the IATA Dangerous

Goods Regulations (DGR). It is designed to outline potential strategies operators may wish to consider for

addressing and mitigating the risks associated with the transport of lithium batteries, in cargo and mail as well as

in passenger and crew baggage.

Following the published position by the aircraft manufacturers in 2015 that the original equipment

manufacturer’s fire suppression systems in aircraft cargo compartments were not designed to contain the

hazards associated with the carriage of dangerous goods, including lithium batteries, various actions have been

taken to mitigate the risk through a multi-layer approach, such as forbidding the carriage of lithium ion batteries

(UN 3480) as cargo on passenger aircraft, limiting the state of charge of lithium ion batteries to not exceeding

30% of their rated capacity for air transport, establishing the SAE Aerospace G-27 Committee to develop a

performance-based standard for lithium battery packaging and from recommending to mandating operators to

conduct safety risk assessments for the transport of items cargo compartments.

The strategies outlined in this guidance document are primarily directed at an operator’s internal processes and

procedures, although there are strategies for engaging with other entities in the supply chain, such as

manufacturers of lithium batteries, shippers, freight forwarders and the travelling public.

This guidance document is divided into cargo operations, focussing on cargo and mail transported in aircraft

cargo compartments, and passenger operations, paying particular attention to both carry-on and checked

baggage that are carried by passengers and crew.

2 Lithium Battery Risk Assessment Guidance for Operators – 3rd Edition

Background Lithium batteries power many portable electronic devices (PEDs) as well as heavy duty machinery and vehicles;

they have become the battery of choice due to their high energy density, which allows them to operate for a long

duration, and the availability of various types with different chemistries makes them suitable for a wide range of

electronic products. These batteries and the products that are operated by them are also very often transported

by air because of the tight timeframe to assemble the products and consequentially to launch the products in a

timely manner, the short product shelf-life and sometimes need to be delivered at short notice in the case of life-

saving medical devices.

There are well-established and stringent international requirements applicable to the manufacture, testing and

transport of lithium batteries, and the legitimate lithium battery industry has an outstanding safety record since

these batteries started to be transported by air in the mid-1970s; however, they can possibly go into a thermal

runaway if the design type has not been subjected to mandatory safety tests or they are not handled properly

and subsequently lead to deformation. In addition, with the reported occurrences of undeclared dangerous

goods around the world, consideration must always be given to the potential of undeclared dangerous goods,

which may also present a significant risk.

Overview of Lithium Batteries A battery is defined as two or more cells which are electrically connected together and fitted with devices

necessary for use, for example, a case, terminals, marking and protective devices. The term “lithium battery”

refers to a family of different chemistries, comprising many types of cathodes and electrolytes. Units that are

commonly referred to as “battery packs”, “modules”, “battery assemblies”, “power banks”, or “power generators”

having the primary function of providing a source of power to another piece of equipment are for the purposes

of this guidance document and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, to be classified as batteries.

Lithium batteries are separated into two main categories, lithium metal batteries and lithium-ion batteries:

Lithium metal batteries are generally primary (non-rechargeable) batteries that have lithium metal or lithium

compounds as an anode. Also included in this category are lithium alloy batteries. Lithium metal batteries are

generally used to power devices such as watches, calculators, cameras, temperature data loggers, car key fobs

and defibrillators.

NOTE:

Lithium metal batteries packed by themselves (not contained in or packed with equipment) (Packing Instruction

968) are forbidden for transport as cargo on passenger aircraft, unless shipped under the conditions of an

exemption issued by all States concerned, or as permitted under an approval in accordance with Special

Provision A201.

Figure 1 – Example of lithium metal cells and batteries


Lithium-ion batteries (sometimes abbreviated to Li-ion batteries) are secondary (rechargeable) batteries

where the lithium is only present in an ionic form in the electrolyte. Also included within the category of lithium-

ion batteries are lithium polymer batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are generally used to power devices such as

mobile telephones, laptop computers, tablets, power tools and e-bikes.

Figure 2 – Example of lithium ion cells and batteries

Note:

Lithium ion batteries packed by themselves (Packing Instruction 965) (not contained in or packed with

equipment):

(a) must be shipped at a state of charge (SoC) not exceeding 30% of their rated capacity. Cells and/or

batteries at a SoC of greater than 30% may only be shipped with the approval of the State of Origin and the

State of the Operator under the written conditions established by those authorities, see Special Provision

A331; and

(b) are forbidden for transport as cargo on passenger aircraft, unless shipped under the conditions of an

exemption issued by all States concerned, or as permitted under an approval in accordance with Special

Provision A201.

More information about the safe transport of lithium batteries by air can be found in the IATA Lithium Battery

Guidance Document (www.iata.org/lithiumbatteries).

http://www.iata.org/lithiumbatteries




Cargo Operations

Challenges Because of the huge, worldwide demand for lithium batteries, billions of them are shipped annually as air cargo.

Volumes are expected to increase substantially over the coming years, with batteries becoming smaller, more

powerful and even more longer lasting. The IATA Dangerous Goods Board previously estimated that, on some

routes, lithium batteries were present in some 25% of cargo shipments. This estimate only takes into account

those lithium batteries that are known to be transported (i.e. those that have been declared to the operator). It

does not include undeclared shipments, the exact amount of which is unknown.

Counterfeit & Substandard Lithium Batteries According to the international air transport regulations, each cell or battery type must be proven to have met

the requirements of each test of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III, subsection 38.3 (i.e. UN 38.3 test).

However, many lithium batteries that do not meet the UN 38.3 test requirements are available for sale on the

Internet and in some parts of the world. These batteries are sometimes manufactured to look alike to the

genuine branded products and are very often sold at a price that is far cheaper than the genuine products. As

these batteries have not been tested to the UN 38.3 test standards, they are less safe to transport, with higher

potential risk and may fail or catch fire when subjected to the shocks and loadings encountered under the

normal conditions of transport.

Figure 3 – Information on counterfeit batteries released by Sony (https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00200938)

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00200938


Undeclared Lithium Batteries Lithium batteries have become such a common, everyday commodity that they have been taken for granted by

consumers, with little thought given to the precautions that need to be taken to ensure lithium batteries do not

pose a risk in air transport. This is an issue for passenger baggage as well as air cargo. Experience has shown

that there are shippers who, either deliberately or through ignorance, do not follow the requirements set out in

the DGR. Consequently, incidents involving lithium batteries catching fire on board aircraft have occurred. It is

not always possible to determine the cause of such incidents, but where a cause has been determined, they

would appear to be almost invariably due to non-compliance with the requirements.

Figure 4 – Fire damage to a package of incorrectly packed lithium metal button cells, which occurred after unloading

There was a great deal of publicity surrounding the loss of three cargo aircraft due to on board cargo fires:

▪ 7 February 2006: DC-8 Philadelphia – aircraft landed safely but was destroyed by fire which had started

in the descent.

▪ 3 September 2010: Boeing 747, Dubai – the aircraft crashed during an attempt to return to Dubai due to a

severe in-flight fire; both crew members were killed.

▪ 27 July 2011: Boeing 747, 130 km west of Jeju Airport, South Korea – the aircraft crashed into the sea

following a severe in-flight fire; both crew members were killed.

It is known that all three aircraft were carrying lithium batteries as cargo, some of which on the Boeing 747 that

crashed in Dubai were subsequently determined to have not complied with the regulatory requirements.

However, the degree to which the lithium batteries were involved in these incidents (i.e. whether they were the

cause of or aggravated the fire) could not be concluded.


Airmail Safety concerns are not restricted to baggage and cargo. Mail is carried extensively on board passenger and

cargo aircraft, both internationally and on relatively short domestic flights. Lithium batteries, whether shipped

on their own or packed with equipment, are not permitted in airmail. Nevertheless, numerous websites

advertise lithium batteries for sale with delivery by airmail as an option. Couple this with the fact that a number

of such batteries may not comply with the regulatory requirements, with the batteries not meeting the UN 38.3

testing requirements, incorrectly packaged or exceeding 30% state of charge, it is not surprising that there

have been a number of incidents involving lithium batteries in airmail.

Figure 5 – A non-compliant laptop battery ordered online and sent by airmail, which caught fire shortly after being unloaded from a

passenger aircraft at London Heathrow Airport

There are provisions that allow for lithium batteries, when contained in equipment only, to be sent by

airmail providing the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved the Designated Postal Operator (DPO)

of the State (country) in which the airmail is offered for carriage. However, in many parts of the world,

there is a lack of communication between the DPO and CAA and so the approval system may not be in

place in some countries. There may also be other problems, such as:

▪ the CAA may not have authority over airmail or the DPO, and is therefore unable to exercise the

necessary oversight; and

▪ the postal authority may not be subject to the civil aviation regulations.

Consequently, it is recommended that operators carrying airmail should liaise closely with the CAA and DPO in

their State.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) provides a list of designated postal operators that have received approval to

accept equipment containing lithium batteries in airmail. The dates from which these DPOs have been

authorised to accept these mail packages and other related information can be found on the UPU website at

the following link:

http://www.upu.int/fileadmin/documentsFiles/activities/postalSecurity/listAuthorizedDOsLithiumBatteriesEn.pd

f

It is important to note that the approval for the DPO is only valid for international airmail offered in that State.

Some of the approved DPOs may have satellite branches established in States outside of their own for which

they have received the approval. This practice is commonly known as Extraterritorial Office of Exchange

(ETOE), which is a facility belonging to a postal operator outside its national territory in another country.

However, ETOE without an approval granted by their operating state is not permitted to accept equipment

containing lithium batteries in airmail.

http://www.upu.int/fileadmin/documentsFiles/activities/postalSecurity/listAuthorizedDOsLithiumBatteriesEn.pdf

http://www.upu.int/fileadmin/documentsFiles/activities/postalSecurity/listAuthorizedDOsLithiumBatteriesEn.pdf


E-commerce E-commerce is growing at an unprecedented rate in recent years and is expected to grow by 20% by 2022

globally with some regions having even more significant growth. The rapid growth of e-commerce is mainly

because of the maturity of technology, special offers from online shops, change of purchase behaviour and the

wide availability of products.

The growth of e-commerce not only offers a business opportunity for small start-up companies and retailers,

but also logistics players in the supply chain, such as air operators as well as freight forwarders. E-commerce

is slightly different from the mail business, which primarily handles letters and small parcels, and have

limitations on the types of lithium batteries (contained in equipment only) that can be accepted. E-commerce

packages are very often transported as traditional air cargo, containing various products (including lithium

batteries shipped alone and packed with equipment), consolidated from different sources and sometimes

might also be transported in a comparably less rigid and robust packaging. From experience, some of these

shipments are initially consigned as a shipper-built unit (BUP), and on arrival at the destination, the units will be

broken down by freight forwarders and the individual packages will be re-consigned as domestic postal parcels

through local mail service.

The combination of the complexity of e-commerce implies that these packages might have a potentially higher

risk level than traditional cargo.


Safety Risk Assessment

Introduction With the entry into effect from 5 November 2020 of Chapter 15 – Cargo Compartment Safety to ICAO Annex 6

– Operation of Aircraft, it will be mandatory for operators to conduct safety risk assessments when

transporting items in aircraft cargo compartments. This requirement will be applicable to all operators that

transport items in the aircraft cargo compartments, namely cargo, baggage and mail. The safety risk

assessments shall include at least the:

▪ hazards associated with the properties of the items to be transported;

▪ capabilities of the operator;

▪ operational considerations;

▪ capabilities of the aeroplane and its systems;

▪ containment characteristics of unit load devices;

▪ packing and packaging;

▪ safety of the supply chain for items to be transported; and

▪ quantity and distribution of dangerous goods items to be transported.

The ICAO Safety Management Manual (Doc 9859) and ICAO Guidance for Safe Operations Involving Aeroplane

Cargo Compartments (Doc 10102) contain comprehensive guidance for both industry and regulators on safety

risk assessments. This guidance will not reproduce large parts of these documents, but it is useful to consider

the basic elements of safety risk assessment as it applies to lithium batteries.

Identify the hazards The first step to conduct a safety risk assessment is to identify potential hazards. In the case of carriage of

lithium batteries as cargo, here are some examples of potential hazards that can be found:

▪ poor quality of the lithium batteries manufactured in the surrounding areas of the operator’s hub and

network (e.g. counterfeit or substandard lithium batteries);

▪ the acceptance policy of other operators in the market as well as different local regulatory requirements

in the nearby States (e.g. if some operators are imposing more requirements / restrictions on accepting

lithium batteries, some shippers might channel some poor quality shipments to other operators or might

even not declare the shipments);

▪ lack of competence / training of employees, including those of contracted ground handling agents,

resulting in the acceptance of non-compliant shipments;

▪ lack of monitoring of ground handling agents (including cargo terminal operators and ramp handling

agents), leading to mis-handling of shipments and consequently potential damage to lithium batteries

that could result in cell failure leading to thermal runaway;

▪ low credibility of shippers / freight forwarders and in some cases, co-loaders (i.e. consolidating through

multiple layers of shippers / freight forwarders before handing over to the operator’s appointed cargo

agent);

▪ DPOs that do not have an approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of the State might be accepting

lithium battery shipments in mail, send by air as cargo and subsequently after the breakdown of the

cargo, the shipment turns into mail again at the destination sorting facility; and

▪ large volume of e-commerce parcels containing high capacity lithium batteries that are packed in plastic

bags or simply undeclared.


Assess the likelihood of occurrence After identifying the potential hazards, assess the likelihood of the hazards to occur. There can be five levels of

occurrence probability:

Likelihood Description Value

Frequent Likely to occur many times (has

occurred frequently)

5

Occasional Likely to occur sometimes (has

occurred infrequently) 4

Remote Unlikely to occur, but possible (has

occurred rarely)

3

Improbable Very unlikely to occur (not known to

have occurred)

2

Extremely improbable Almost inconceivable that the event

will occur

1

Table 1 – Possible risk probability

Evaluate the severity of the occurrence Once the likelihood of occurrence is determined, move forward to evaluate the severity of the hazards in

conjunction with the potential consequences caused by the hazards. Similar to occurrence probability, there

are generally five levels of risk severity:

Severity Description Value

Catastrophic ▪ Aircraft / equipment destroyed

▪ Multiple deaths

A

Hazardous ▪ A large reduction in safety margins,

physical distresses or a workload

such that operational personnel

cannot be relied upon to perform

their tasks accurately or completely

▪ Serious injury

▪ Major equipment damage

B

Major ▪ A significant reduction in safety

margins, a reduction in the ability of

operational personnel to cope with

adverse operating conditions as a

result of an increase in workload or

as a result of conditions impairing

their efficiency

▪ Serious incident

▪ Injury to persons

C

Minor ▪ Nuisance

▪ Operating limitations

▪ Use of emergency procedures

▪ Minor incident

D

Negligible ▪ Few consequences E

Table 2 – Possible safety risk severity


Risk index rating By combining the occurrence probability and the severity of the risk (i.e. likelihood x severity), a risk index rating

can be assigned. This risk index rating will give an indication on how tolerable the risk is, and can assist and

guide an operator to put more focus and investment on risk mitigation measures for the high risk areas.

Safety Risk Severity

Probability Catastrophic

A

Hazardous

B

Major

C

Minor

D

Negligible

E

Frequent 5 5A 5B 5C 5D 5E

Occasional 4 4A 4B 4C 4D 4E

Remote 3 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E

Improbable 2 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E

Extremely

improbable 1 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E

Table 3 – Example of a safety risk matrix

Safety Risk Index Range Safety Risk

Description Recommended Action

5A, 5B, 5C, 4A, 4B, 3A INTOLERABLE

Take immediate action to mitigate the risk or stop

the activity. Perform priority safety risk mitigation

to ensure additional or enhanced preventative

controls are in place to bring down the safety risk

index to tolerable.

5D, 5E, 4C, 4D, 4E, 3B, 3C, 3D, 2A,

2B, 2C, 1A TOLERABLE

Can be tolerated based on the safety risk

mitigation. It may require management decision to

accept the risk.

3E, 2D, 2E, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E ACCEPTABLE Acceptable as is. No further safety risk mitigation

required.

Table 4 – Possible safety risk tolerability

Example Below is an example on conducting safety risk assessments with respect to lithium batteries consigned as

cargo.

An operator of all-cargo aircraft wishes to assess the risk associated with the carriage of cargo from Hong

Kong.

Likelihood – Experience has shown that a few previous incidents were related to some undeclared or non-

compliant lithium battery shipments accepted for air transport in Hong Kong. Consequently, a fire in cargo is

possible and likelihood should be Level 3.

Severity level – If the cargo catches fire on the main deck of a cargo aircraft, this may become uncontrollable,

resulting in a catastrophic situation. Therefore, the severity level should be catastrophic (A).

Therefore, the risk index would be likelihood (3) x severity (A) = 3A Intolerable.


In this case, the operator will need to implement additional mitigations to reduce the safety risk into at least the

tolerable range although it is preferable to try to achieve a level of risk that is acceptable. Given that the safety

risk level is intolerable, all risk mitigations in place should be reviewed. This process may involve senior

representatives from cargo, engineering, flight operations and safety departments. In considering the review,

the following factors should be taken into account:

Preventative controls – lithium batteries must comply with very stringent regulatory requirements before being

offered for carriage by air.

Escalation factors – shippers’ inadvertent or wilful non-compliance with the requirements.

Escalation controls – operator considers a system whereby lithium batteries will only be accepted from freight

forwarders or shippers who have been vetted by the operator.

Despite preventive controls being in place, there is always the possibility that an unsafe event (in this case a

lithium battery thermal event) can occur. Consequently, “recovery measures” must be considered (i.e. what can

be done to prevent the unsafe event developing into the ultimate consequence, the loss of life or the aircraft).

However, as with preventive controls, recovery measures can also be weakened by escalation factors that

need to be controlled.

The following may apply for the example:

Recovery measure – fire containment covers on all pallets or use of fire-resistant containers.

Escalation factor – covers incorrectly applied, reducing their effectiveness.

Escalation control – covers are only applied by trained personnel and the deployment of covers will be verified

by another qualified staff member.

The above elements can be more easily demonstrated with a bowtie risk analysis model, which has been

adopted by some operators and regulators. The strength of a bowtie model is that it allows users to easily

visualise the assessment and identify the safety barriers that are in place, or lack of, to minimise the likelihood

of the occurrence of an unsafe event.

Figure 6 – An example of a bowtie risk analysis model


The bowtie risk analysis model puts the focus around the hazard that can potentially cause damage to the

organisation and the top event that will be led by the identified hazard. The threats that can contribute to the

top event as well as the ultimate consequence that is to be caused by the top event shall be laid out to the left

and right respectively.

This process can stimulate to the identification of preventative measures which can elimiate the threat or

prevent the threat from triggering the occurrence of the top event, and explore potential measures that reduce

the likelihood of an event or mitigate the severity of the consequence should the top event occur.

Figure 7 – An example of a bowtie risk analysis model for the carriage of lithium battery shipments

A sample of a complete bowtie risk model compiled by the UK Civil Aviation Authority can be downloaded for

reference.

Determination of severity levels and likelihood can be subjective but it is always important that the safety

culture of an operator embraces the concept that many activities associated with air transport, including the

carriage of lithium batteries, involve risks that must be identified and mitigated to achieve an acceptable level

of safety.

It is essential that each operator conducts and documents their own safety risk assessments based on their

own operational realities. The risks and their severity, the effectiveness of mitigations and controls, as well as

the overall risk tolerance will be unique to each operation. As such, it is important to stress that this document

is just a guidance and should not be considered as an actual assessment of an operation. In keeping with

safety management system (SMS) requirements, it is important to note that any safety risk assessment

completed should be regularly reviewed and updated accordingly. This is to ensure that any operational or

regulatory changes as well as advances in industry technology are reflected in the final outcome.

https://www.iata.org/contentassets/05e6d8742b0047259bf3a700bc9d42b9/ukca_-bowtie_model_carriage_of_lithium_batteries.pdf


Risk Mitigation Measures Operators should be mindful that threats may arise due to some external factors that are beyond their control.

Not all safety risks can be eliminated entirely but operators can consider various approaches to mitigate the

risks to as low as practicable and acceptable.

Below are some risk mitigation areas that operators can consider:

▪ training and competency;

▪ acceptance and handling procedures;

▪ outreach and awareness; and

▪ future asset investment.

Training & Competency Because of the prevalence of lithium batteries and their inherent properties, incidents may occur in

baggage, cargo and mail whether through non-compliance with the air transport requirements, or

through subsequent damage. Possibly the greatest mitigation measure is the appropriate training of all

staff to be able to intervene in an incident or, better still, prevent an incident from occurring.

Staff are required to be trained to carry out the functions for which they are responsible and it is

important for operators to consider the extent to which staff need to be trained.

With respect to lithium batteries, training can be:

Preventative (i.e. to stop an incident from occurring) and is generally relevant to staff handling cargo,

mail and baggage before flight (e.g. dangerous goods and cargo acceptance staff, and loaders). Other

staff (e.g. sales and reservation staff) can also have a preventative role. Training should concentrate on

detection of:

▪ undeclared hidden lithium battery shipments;

▪ damaged packages; and

▪ declared shipments containing lithium batteries but not in compliance with the regulations (e.g. declaring

a power bank shipment as lithium batteries contained in equipment).

Reactive (i.e. respond to an incident involving fire, smoke or fumes) and is relevant to flight and cabin

crew. It is essential that, in addition to general familiarisation training, flight and cabin crew receive

comprehensive safety training to cover the hazards presented by lithium batteries, including safe

handling and emergency procedures.

Incidents also provide an indication of the effectiveness of the preventative barriers. For this reason, it

is critical that operators implement a “just culture” approach to reporting of dangerous goods incidents.

All staff should be encouraged to report all dangerous goods incidents, even when the incident may

have occurred as a result of an error or mistake by the staff member, e.g. a Unit Load Device (ULD)

falling off a dolly due to the locks not being properly deployed / raised.

The incident report and subsequent investigation allow the operator to revise policies, procedures or

work instructions to strengthen the preventative barriers, which act to reduce the exposure to risk.

For operators that have their operational functions outsourced to ground handling agents, they should

ensure that their suppliers are following the same principle and their employees are trained and

competent. In order to achieve this, operators can implement periodic audit programmes and carry out

random checks on shipments which have been accepted on their behalf.


Safety Training for Flight Crew

As with any cargo fire, the options available to flight crew are severely limited. During the flight, it is

impossible for flight crew to determine whether lithium batteries are involved, or indeed, whether the

smoke / fire warning is genuine. It must be appreciated that the notification to captain (NOTOC) will only

detail the fully regulated dangerous goods being carried as cargo. It shall never be assumed that, if

lithium batteries are stated on the NOTOC, they are the source of the fire. Similarly, the absence of

lithium batteries on the NOTOC does not necessarily mean that none are being carried; there is always

the possibility of undeclared lithium batteries in cargo.

Flight crew should be trained to respond to an emergency suspected of involving lithium batteries

carried as cargo by following the standard operating procedure for smoke or fire events, the most

important aspect of which is: LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Flight crew of cargo aircraft have options not available to those of passenger aircraft. Experience has

shown that once a fire has become uncontrollable, a catastrophic situation can quickly develop, and it

may not be possible to reach a suitable airport in time to land. Should a suitable airport not be within

reach, it may be necessary to verify that the smoke / fire warning on the main cargo deck is genuine by

visual inspection. Flight crew can also establish the extent and severity of the fire at this time. If this

cannot be achieved from the flight deck (e.g. through a porthole), it may be necessary to investigate

further. Ideally, someone other than a member of the operating crew should do this, but this may not

always be possible (i.e. the operating crew may be the only occupants). If a closer visual inspection is

required, this should be done with extreme caution. Flight crew may achieve this by opening the flight

deck door as little as possible to obtain a view of the cargo compartment. However, if this is not

possible, it may be necessary to access the cargo compartment using appropriate personal protective

equipment (PPE) such as fire gloves and portable breathing equipment (PBE). The following are the

objectives of visual inspection:

▪ determine whether smoke or fire is present. Even if there are no signs of smoke or fire, it must not be

assumed that the warning was false, and the appropriate procedures, including landing as soon as

possible, should still be followed. The situation should be monitored regularly for the remainder of the

flight;

▪ if smoke is present, and a small fire is the obvious source, it may be possible to extinguish the fire using a

portable on board fire extinguisher. After the fire is extinguished, if it is apparent that lithium batteries

were involved, they should be doused with copious amounts of water to cool them and prevent

reignition. After this has been done, the crew member should return to the flight deck and the

appropriate procedures for smoke / fire on the main deck should be followed, with the affected cargo

being regularly monitored for the remainder of the flight for any signs of smoke or fire;

▪ if it is apparent that a large fire is present, no attempt should be made to enter the main deck cargo

compartment. In this instance, as well as following the appropriate procedures, consideration should be

given to the possibility that continued flight may not be possible and other options (e.g. ditching, forced

landing) may need to be considered.

Clearly, the presence of fire on board an aircraft is an extremely stressful situation for flight crew, which can

be made worse should smoke penetrate the flight deck. Consequently, practical emergency training should

address the difficulties that will be encountered in continuing to control an aircraft if there is smoke on the

flight deck.


Acceptance & Handling Procedures

Acceptance

In addition to a comprehensive acceptance check, which seeks to verify as far as possible that all applicable

requirements for packages (and documentation) have been met for fully regulated dangerous goods, ICAO

and IATA require measures to be taken to ensure packages are not damaged during handling or transport

and these are particularly relevant to lithium batteries. For example, packages must be:

▪ secured in an aircraft in a manner that will prevent movement;

▪ protected against damage:

‒ during flight, for example by the movement of baggage, mail, stores or other cargo;

‒ during their preparation for transport, for example during handling after acceptance and prior to

loading.

Whilst an acceptance check is only required when fully regulated dangerous goods are first accepted for

carriage by air, when packages are transshipped, operators should verify packages are free from damage or

leakage and the marks and labels are still intact (labels must be replaced by the operator if they have become

lost, detached or illegible).

Loading

Specifically for (standalone) lithium batteries (UN 3090 or UN 3480), they must be segregated from other

dangerous goods classified in Class 1 (explosives) other than Division 1.4S, Division 2.1 (flammable gases), Class

3 (flammable liquids), Division 4.1 (flammable solids) and Division 5.1 (oxidizers).

There are no specific regulatory requirements addressing where lithium batteries should be loaded on an aircraft,

operators may wish to consider loading them in a “Class C” cargo compartment and avoid the critical avionic

systems. A Class C cargo compartment is one, where:

▪ there is a separate approved smoke detector or fire detector to give a warning to the flight crew;

▪ there is an approved built-in fire extinguishing system controllable from the flight deck;

▪ there are means of excluding hazardous quantities of smoke, flames or extinguishing agent from any

compartment occupied by the crew or passengers;

▪ there are means of controlling ventilation and draughts within the compartment so that the extinguishing

agent used can control any fire that may start within the compartment.

In order to identify how the declared shipments shall be segregated and loaded, operators can differentiate the

shipments by way of an IATA Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods and an air waybill (AWB), (if

applicable).

For lithium batteries packed with equipment or contained in equipment, there are no specific regulatory

requirements on segregation and loading. Operators may also choose to adopt the same restrictions

mentioned above for these shipments if it fits the operational needs.

Operator Approval

The incidents that have occurred have usually been caused by non-compliance, but not all have been

undeclared. They may have been accompanied by an IATA Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods but

may not have been adequately protected against short-circuit by the shipper / packer. Consequently,

operators may wish to consider, as one of the available risk mitigation measures, accepting lithium batteries,

especially batteries shipped alone (without the equipment) only from pre-approved shippers and freight

forwarders. When establishing the approval process, operators can consider the following factors:

▪ whether or not the lithium batteries are of a type that have successfully passed the UN 38.3 tests*;


▪ if the lithium batteries are individually protected or not and how these are then packed inside the outer

packaging;

▪ the credibility of the battery manufacturers, shippers and freight forwarders; and

▪ the dangerous goods qualification of shippers and freight forwarders.

Such approval process could then provide better visibility to the operator on what is being accepted.

*From 1 January 2020, manufacturers and subsequent distributors of cells or batteries manufactured after 30

June 2003 must make available the test summary as specified in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III,

sub-section 38.3, paragraph 38.3.5. This test summary can be made available electronically or in printed

format, and is also applicable to cells and batteries that are contained in equipment. It is not required to

accompany every shipment, but it can be one of the documents to be considered when approving the carriage

of certain battery types.

General Cargo

Clearly, the above measures are not possible for lithium batteries that have not been declared to the

operator. Therefore, efforts must be made to detect these undeclared batteries. These could include

implementing:

▪ enhanced cargo acceptance processes and training to better detect non-compliant shipments. This

could include greater scrutiny of the descriptions of goods on accompanying paperwork. For example,

items described on an air waybill as “electrical / electronic equipment” or “film crew and media

equipment” or “no battery” when the product described is an electronic device, may contain lithium

batteries;

▪ establish a database to screen the description of goods shown on both the master air waybill data (FWB)

and house manifest data (FHL), if applicable;

▪ additional training for ground handling agents and cargo terminal personnel to better detect undeclared

shipments, raise awareness of the need to detect and remove damaged packages from the transport

stream;

▪ carry out risk-based target or random screening, by means of x-ray technology or even physical hand

searching of cargo, if applicable. Coordinate with the appointed security screening companies on the

screening requirement for lithium battery shipments and jointly establish a seamless communication

procedure;

▪ in cases where lithium battery related shipments are not accepted (for either regulatory or operators’

policy), operators may want to consider other more restrictive measures, such as not allowing shipper-

built units (BUP) and prohibiting the use of opaque plastic sheets covering cargo (at package level and

skid level);

▪ coordinate closely with competent authorities, ensure that occasions of undeclared dangerous goods,

including lithium batteries, are reported to the appropriate authority of the State of the operator and the

State in which it occurred in accordance with DGR 9.6.5.


Outreach & Awareness

Engagement with Shippers

As the originators of cargo, shippers offering compliant shipments are first and foremost, they are the key

entities for safety compliance. For most operators, they seldom have direct contact with shippers;

however, should there be opportunities to interact with shippers, particularly on the shipping of lithium

batteries, it is appropriate to ensure they have the relevant training and always only offer compliant

shipments.

Engagement with Freight Forwarders

Freight forwarders are an important interface between shippers and operators but are largely unregulated.

Engagement with freight forwarders, including advising them of the consequences of failure to comply with

the requirements, can be very beneficial. Additionally, operators may also consider vetting freight

forwarders on a regular basis to ensure that they also have a stringent acceptance procedure and

processes aimed at detecting non-compliant shipments.

Engagement with Designated Postal Operators

Experience has shown that there is a great deal of ignorance among the general public about what

dangerous goods can and, more importantly, cannot be sent in the mail. ICAO requires that the

appropriate civil aviation authority of the State to review and approve the procedures of the Designated

Postal Operator (DPO) to control the introduction of permitted dangerous goods into the mail.

For DPOs that have not been approved to accept any lithium batteries contained in equipment in mail,

operators can consider visiting and understanding how the DPOs are isolating mail that potentially

contains such unapproved items.

It is always beneficial for operators and DPOs to work together in developing awareness strategies.

Warning Notices

Sufficient notices must be prominently displayed at visible locations at cargo acceptance points to alert

shippers and freight forwarders about any dangerous goods that may be contained in their shipments. As

shippers do not tend to tender shipments to operators directly in traditional cargo operations, it is also worth of

displaying similar notices in the premises of freight forwarders and integrators’ drop-off counters or service

points.

Figure 8 – Lithium battery warning notice


Websites

Operators can also remind shippers about their policy and develop their own guidance documents to assist

their shippers in understanding regulatory requirements related to shipping lithium batteries as well as their

own handling procedures.

Figure 9 – Website showing additional lithium battery shipment related guidelines

(https://www.dhl.com/en/express/shipping/shipping_advice/lithium_batteries.html#guides_materials)

Seminars

Lithium battery transport requirements can be a subject that is very helpful to the industry, to be covered in

seminars. Apart from the benefit of providing learning opportunities, seminars can bring together many

interested parties who may not normally encounter one another, and therefore, facilitate an understanding of

each other’s perspectives.

https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dhl.com%2Fen%2Fexpress%2Fshipping%2Fshipping_advice%2Flithium_batteries.html%23guides_materials&data=02%7C01%7Cchancps%40iata.org%7C6234be7ab1c14891844608d79dc31b70%7Cad22178472a84263ac860ccc6b152cd8%7C0%7C0%7C637151333618246673&sdata=o%2BAXGzuZQum5dZlC7c9e1a39R%2FCScpxElADaVETOWlw%3D&reserved=0


Future Asset Investment The incidents and accidents that have occurred where lithium batteries are known to have been a

factor (or were present on board) have highlighted the vulnerability of cargo aircraft to main deck cargo

compartment fires and, in particular, how quickly a situation can become catastrophic. Consequently, a

number of technologies are being studied and developed by industry and regulators to enhance fire

protection, particularly on cargo aircraft as these may not have the same level of fire suppression as

passenger aircraft. However, it would be wrong to believe that such measures are necessary only when

it is known that lithium batteries are being carried. Undeclared shipments are commonplace; therefore,

such provisions should be applied even when no consignments of lithium batteries have been declared

to an operator.

At a recent lithium battery workshop, several new and developing technologies were showcased.

Some examples of these are shown in the following section.

Fire-Resistant Containers

Fire-resistant containers (FRC) can be made and used in the same way as certified aircraft containers.

They are constructed of fire-resistant material, similar to that used in body armour. There are multiple

suppliers on the market, and some FRCs have been demonstrated to be able to contain an internal fire

of up to 650°C for at least four hours. Depending on the materials, some have the advantage of being

lighter than conventional aluminium containers, offering a weight savings of as much as 30 kg per

container. In terms of use, loading and tie-down, they are the same as the traditional certified aircraft

containers.

Figure 10 – Main deck fire-resistant containers

Fire Containment Covers

Many shipments containing lithium batteries are loaded on open aircraft pallets, and consequently, fire

resistant containers might not be appropriate for use, but rather, fire containment covers (FCC) that are

deployed over the cargo but under the net may be used. There are different suppliers on the market

and some operators have been deploying FCCs on palletised cargo for many years whilst others are

considering their use. Some FCCs currently in production can contain a fire of up to 815°C for four

hours or even more, which can potentially offer more time for flight crew to find the closest airport to

land should an emergency situation arise.

In terms of deployment, FCCs can be more complex than FRCs. Depending on the design and make,

they can weigh approximately 40 kg to 50 kg, and require at least two trained staff to deploy and

remove the cover.


Figure 11 – Fire containment cover for lower deck and main deck deployment

Fire Containment Bags

The same materials used for the manufacture of fire containment covers are used to produce smaller

size fire containment bags (FCB). Due to their smaller size, the deployment process of these bags is

comparably simpler than that of fire containment covers, and can also be used over small packages.

Once the FCBs are deployed, they can either be loaded on the aircraft pallets or in the aircraft

containers or even loaded into non-containerised aircraft (bulk loaded).

Figure 12 – Fire containment bags loaded on a certified aircraft pallet and in a certified lower deck aircraft container


Smoke Displacement Systems

A smoke-filled cockpit can restrict or completely block a pilot’s view of the outside world and essential cockpit

instrumentation. Vision can be restored by smoke displacement systems, which use self-inflating transparent

plastic envelopes to provide a clear space through which a pilot can see flight instruments and the outside

world.

Figure 13 – Smoke displacement system (EVAS – Enhanced vision assurance system)

In February of 2015, the VisionSafe Corporation received Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the

Emergency Vision System (EVAS) Cockpit Smoke Displacement equipment applicable to the Boeing 777. The

Boeing 777 is the latest aircraft to get FAA certified equipment and includes models 777-200, -200LR, -300, -

300LR and the 777F. The company now has EVAS STC’s for over 80 aircraft types.

The FAA recommends that aircraft meet higher standards for continuous cockpit smoke protection (FAA

AC25.109). The U.S. Air Line Pilots Association’s (ALPA) in-flight fire project reported more than 1,100 in-flight

smoke and fire incidents over a period of 10 months, resulting in 360 emergency landings.

The FAA’s concern about smoke events continues, and remains a serious problem with the statistics are

essentially unchanged. The Flight Safety Foundation ranks smoke / fire emergencies as the 3rd highest cause

of fatalities. Smoke is also a leading cause of diversions of ETOPS aircraft.


Quick-Donning Full-Face Oxygen Masks

Unlike traditional flight crew oxygen masks, which require two hands to don, new face masks can be donned

with only one hand and in a couple of seconds. These new masks can be used in conjunction with smoke

displacement systems.

Figure 14 – Quick-donning full-face oxygen mask

Performance-Based Packaging Standard

The SAE G-27 committee, consisting of battery manufacturers, regulators, operators and packaging

manufacturers, was established at the request of ICAO to develop a performance-based packaging standard

for standalone lithium batteries (AS 6413). The intent is to develop a test standard for designing a packaging

for specific types of batteries prepared as for transport, so that when a lithium battery fails and goes into

thermal runaway, the consequence of the event can be contained inside the packaging, so as to prevent

hazardous flame, fragments or flammable gases from exiting the package and consequently causing damage

to the aircraft or other cargo. While this will make compliant shipments even safer, it will have no effect on the

arguably biggest risk (i.e. non-compliant or undeclared lithium battery shipments).

As of today, this standard is still under development.


Enhanced Security Screening

X-ray machines can also be an effective tool in identifying lithium batteries contained inside a shipment.

However. the algorithms used by x-ray machines in security screening are traditionally set to detect explosives

automatically. Furthermore, lithium batteries in small packages are more identifiable through visual x-ray

compared to those in large consignments. For many years, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority has

been exploring the feasibility of detecting lithium batteries in cargo using existing x-ray technology, and in

recent years, due to the rising demand to detect undeclared lithium battery shipments by using x-ray machines,

some manufacturers are starting to review their technology to offer automated lithium battery detection.

Figure 15 – X-ray images of different battery types

However, it is important to note that although the technology is available, authorised airport security

companies traditionally and primarily focus on identifying security related items, such as an improvised

explosive device (IED), rather than dangerous goods or lithium batteries. Therefore, if operators have

expectations to detect undeclared lithium batteries in packages, they are encouraged to liaise with the security

companies locally so as to ensure that expectations are well defined, communicated and executed.


Passenger Operations

Challenges Very similar to one of the many challenges encountered by cargo operations, many counterfeit and

substandard lithium batteries can also be found in passengers’ baggage. With the rapid evolvement of

technology and massive number of air travellers every day, the challenges in passenger operations can be

even more onerous than those in cargo operations.

Safety Risk Assessment Details on safety risk assessments and how a safety risk assessment should be carried out can be found under

Cargo Operations in the previous section.

Identify the hazards Below are some examples of potential hazards that can be found in passenger operations:

▪ PEDs powered by a damaged / defective lithium battery is brought on board the aircraft (e.g. the user has

been finding the lithium battery of the mobile phone is overheating);

▪ PEDs that are not switched off or in hibernation mode, and stowed in checked baggage;

▪ passengers not complying with the regulations and carry a large number of spare batteries and PEDs in

their carry-on and checked baggage that are also not for personal use;

▪ spare batteries, e-cigarettes or power banks are placed in carry-on baggage but later on due to

insufficient space in the overhead locker of the passenger cabin, the bag is moved to the cargo

compartment without removing the spare batteries, e-cigarettes or power banks;

▪ power banks containing substandard lithium batteries and are being recharged during flight; and

▪ PEDs slipping into the seat and being crushed, resulting in a fire, when the passenger attempts to

retrieve the device by adjusting the seat.

Example Here is an example on conducting safety risk assessments with respect to lithium batteries carried by

passengers.

An operator of passenger aircraft within Europe wishes to risk assess the carriage of portable electronic

devices (PED) in the cabin of their aircraft.

Likelihood – Given the propensity for portable electronic devices (PED) to be carried by passengers, it would be

reasonable to assume that such an incident might occur at some time, and so the likelihood would be Level 3.

Severity level – If a PED catches fire in the cabin, fire extinguishers will be readily available to cabin crew, who

will have been trained in their use. Additionally, water, which is necessary to cool lithium batteries involved in an

incident, will be on hand. Therefore, on the basis that an abnormal flight operations incident procedure would

be applied (firefighting by cabin crew), with few other consequences, it may be appropriate to assign a severity

level of major (C).

Therefore, the risk index would be likelihood (3) x severity (C) = 3C “Tolerable”

The following factors should be taken into account:

Preventative control – prohibition of spare lithium batteries in checked baggage.


Escalation factor – passenger’s ignorance of the requirement.

Escalation control – operator has a robust process to ensure that all passengers are made aware of the

requirement (e.g. by questioning at check-in kiosks and / or counters).

Despite preventive controls being in place, there is always the possibility that an unsafe event (in this case a

lithium battery fire / event) can occur. Consequently, recovery measures must be considered (i.e. what can be

done to prevent the unsafe event developing into the ultimate negative consequence, the loss of life or the

aircraft). However, as with preventive controls, recovery measures can also be weakened by escalation factors

that need to be controlled.

In the example above, the following may apply:

Recovery measure – Halon fire extinguishers and water available to cabin crew;

Escalation factor – fire extinguishers out of date, insufficient water carried;

Escalation control – robust process in place to ensure an aircraft cannot depart with expired extinguisher or

less than certain volume of water.


Risk Mitigation Measures Whether for cargo or passenger operations, operators should always be mindful that threats may arise due to

some external factors that are beyond their control. Not all safety risks can be eliminated entirely but operators

can consider various approaches to mitigate the risks to as low as practicable and acceptable.

Below are some risk mitigation areas that operators can consider:

▪ training and competency;

▪ acceptance and handling procedures; and

▪ outreach and awareness.

Training & Competency Due to the common use of lithium batteries for powering electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets,

laptops and mobility aids, and the possibility of having substandard batteries on board, incidents may occur in

both the cabin and baggage. The best mitigation measure may be appropriate training of all staff to be able to

intervene and control an incident or even to prevent an incident from occurring.

According to the regulations, staff are required to be trained to carry out the functions for which they are

responsible and it is important for operators to consider the extent to which staff need to be trained.

With respect to lithium batteries, training can be:

Preventative (i.e. to stop an incident from occurring) and is relevant to frontline passenger facing staff,

especially before flight (e.g. ticketing staff, check-in counter staff and boarding gate agents). Training should

concentrate on detection of:

▪ (any kinds of) spare batteries (including power banks) in checked baggage, and this should include

questioning passengers when carry-on baggage is surrendered for carriage in the cargo compartment;

▪ excessive number of portable electronic devices and spare batteries in baggage;

▪ large capacity lithium batteries (e.g. more than 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh) carried without an

operator approval.

Reactive (i.e. respond to an incident involving fire, smoke or fumes) and is relevant to flight and cabin crew. It is

essential that, in addition to general familiarisation training, flight and cabin crew receive comprehensive safety

training to cover the hazards presented by lithium batteries, including safe handling and emergency

procedures.

Safety Training for Cabin Crew

In addition to the items carried by passengers and crew members, there are many devices on the flight

deck or in the passenger cabin that are powered by lithium batteries, such as electronic flight bags,

emergency torches, or even the offline credit card machines. In the event of one of these items failing and

causing a fire, it is understandable that there may be reluctance to introduce liquid onto the flight deck;

however, if the battery is not cooled with water (or other non-flammable liquid), the fire may continue to

propagate and worsen.

Cabin crew members are most likely to have to deal with an in-flight lithium battery fire and have a vital role

to play in dealing with incidents. Because a fire in the cabin can quickly become uncontrollable, with

potentially disastrous consequences, it is vital that cabin crew are trained to respond quickly, using the

procedures and checklists published in the ICAO Emergency Response Guidance for Aircraft Incidents

Involving Dangerous Goods (Doc 9481), (The “Red Book”) and IATA’s Cabin Operations Safety Best


Practices Guide. These procedures have been developed by the IATA Cabin Safety Task Force in

conjunction with ICAO and have been incorporated into the “Red Book”.

In order to ensure that all crew members are competent to deal with a lithium battery event from a

damaged / defective portable electronic device, their competency should be verified by practical

demonstration of dealing with a lithium battery incident in the cabin.

Below are some scenarios to be considered in the safety training programme for cabin crew:

Overheat Event

If an electrical burning smell from a portable electronic device (PED) is detected, or a PED is suspected

of overheating, the passenger should be asked to turn off the device immediately. If the PED is plugged

into the aircraft power supply, the power supply must be disconnected if safe to do so and the in-seat

power should also be turned off. Although a PED may be “switched off,” unstable / damaged batteries

can still ignite and so the PED must remain off and be monitored closely for the remainder of the flight.

Fire Event

Figure 16 – A burning laptop

As with any fire occurring in the cabin, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as fire

gloves and portable breathing equipment should be considered, but it is important to note that this

does not delay the response to the incident. Although following recommended procedures present a

sequence of tasks, some of these actions occur simultaneously when carried out by multiple crew

members.

1. Identify the item

It may not be possible to identify the item (source of fire) immediately, especially if the fire has started in

a seat pocket or the device is not readily accessible. In this case, fire-fighting procedures should be

applied as a first step. Once it is possible to do so, identify the item after the fire is under control. If the

item is contained in baggage, the crew’s actions would be similar to the actions for a device that is visible

or readily accessible.

Caution: In order to avoid injury from a flash fire, it is not recommended to open the affected baggage

when there is any indication of smoke or flames. However, in certain situations, cabin crew members

may assess and deem it necessary to slightly open baggage to allow entry of the extinguishant and non-


flammable liquid. This should be done with extreme caution and only after donning appropriate

protective equipment, available on the aircraft.

2. Apply fire-fighting procedure

Any occurrence concerning a fire in the cabin should be notified immediately to the pilot-in-command

who should be kept informed of all actions taken and their effects. It is essential that the cabin crew and

the flight crew coordinate their actions and that each are kept fully informed of the other’s actions and

intentions.

Appropriate fire-fighting and emergency procedures must be used to deal with any fire. In a multi-cabin

crew operation, the actions detailed in the fire-fighting procedure should be coordinated and conducted

simultaneously. On aircraft operated with only one cabin crew member, the aid of a passenger should be

sought in dealing with the situation.

Halon, halon replacement or water extinguishers should be used to extinguish the fire and prevent its

spread to other flammable materials. It is important to wear available protective equipment (e.g.

protective breathing equipment, fire gloves) when fighting a fire.

If fire develops, cabin crew should take prompt action to move passengers away from the area involved

and, if necessary, provide wet towels or cloths and give instructions for passengers to breathe through

them. Minimising the spreading of smoke and fumes into the flight deck is critical for the continued safe

operation of the aircraft. Therefore, it is always essential to keep the flight deck door closed. Crew

communication and coordination is of utmost importance. The use of the interphone should be the

primary means of communication unless the interphone system fails.

If fire or smoke is seen coming from a baggage compartment, such as a wardrobe or overhead locker,

passengers should be moved and asked if they are carrying anything that could be the cause. The exact

location of the fire should be determined carefully by checking for heat with the back of an un-gloved

hand.

Figure 17 – Determining the location of a fire in an overhead locker

After first considering the use of PPE, a fire extinguisher should be discharged into the locker.


Figure 18 – Discharging a fire extinguisher into an overhead locker

The compartment should be closed for a few seconds to allow for the extinguishant to take effect.

Further extinguishant should be discharged until it is safe to fully open the compartment, when the cause

of the fire will be located.

3. Remove power

It is important to instruct the passenger to disconnect the device from any power supply, if it is deemed

safe to do so. A battery has a higher likelihood of catching fire due to overheating during or immediately

following a recharging cycle even though the effects may be delayed for a period of time. By removing

the external power supply from the device, it will ensure that additional energy is not being fed to the

battery to promote a fire.

Turn off the in-seat power to all the remaining electrical outlets until it can be established that a

malfunctioning aircraft system does not result in additional failures of the passengers’ portable

electronic devices.

If the device was previously plugged in to in-seat power, visually check that power to the remaining

electrical outlets remains off until the aircraft’s system can be determined to be free of faults.

The removal of power may occur simultaneously to other cabin crew actions (e.g. obtaining water to

immerse the device). Depending on the aircraft type, the in-seat power supply may have to be turned-off

by the flight crew physically than remotely.

4. Immerse the device in water (or other non-flammable liquid)

If the incident device is not inside a bag or it is in a bag that is not intact, the device should not be moved

but left in place and be flooded with water to prevent the spread of heat to other cells in the battery.

Should water not be available, any non-flammable liquid may be used to cool the device.

If the incident device is contained in an intact bag and no flames can be seen, the bag should be removed

and placed in a watertight container (or one made watertight by using a bin liner) and flooded with water.


Figure 19 – A laptop being doused with water from the galley

Figure 20 – Applying water to a burning device without removing it from the overhead locker. It is important to note that liquid may

turn to steam when it is applied to heated batteries

Caution:

‒ do not attempt to pick-up or move the device; batteries may explode or burst into flames without

warning. The device must not be moved if any of the following exist: flames / flaring, smoke, unusual

sounds (such as crackling), debris or shards of material separating from the device;

‒ do not cover or enclose the device as it could cause the device to get hotter and overheat; and

‒ do not use ice or dry ice to cool the device. Ice or other materials will insulate the device, increasing

the likelihood that additional battery cells will heat-up and reach thermal runaway.


Figure 21 – A demonstration of the effect of applying ice to a burning laptop

5. Leave the device in place and monitor for any reignition

A battery involved in a fire can reignite and emit flames multiple times when heat is transferred to other

cells in the battery. Therefore, the device must be monitored regularly to identify if there is any indication

that a fire risk may still exist. If there is any smoke or indication of fire, the device must be immersed in

water (or other non-flammable liquid).

6. When the device has cooled, after approximately 10 – 15 minutes

The device can be moved with caution once it has cooled down and if there is no evidence of smoke,

heat, or if there is a reduction in the crackling or hissing sound usually associated with a lithium battery

fire (after approximately 10 – 15 minutes). The waiting period may vary, based on the device and its size.

The different circumstances (e.g. types of devices and phase of flight) should be addressed in the

operator’s training programme.

A suitable empty container, such as a pot, jug, galley unit or waste bin (with a water-tight liner if needed),

must be filled with sufficient water or non-flammable liquid to completely immerse the device. It is

important to wear available protective equipment (e.g. protective breathing equipment and fire gloves),

when moving any device involved in a fire. Once the device is completely submerged, the container used

must be stowed (e.g. in a toilet or wardrobe), monitored and, if possible, secured to prevent spillage.

Figure 22 – A laptop in a bag being immersed in water inside a toilet waste bin


Figure 23 – The toilet waste bin with water holding the damaged device should be stowed and isolated in a toilet

As not all containers are watertight, so plastic bin liners should be used.

Figure 24 – A bar box made watertight by using a plastic bin liner


Lithium Battery Fire Prevention

There have been reported incidents on board by operators as a result of the inadvertent crushing or

damage of a portable electronic device, and some of these crushed devices had even caught fire.

Figure 25 – A mobile phone crushed in an electrically adjustable seat

Figure 26 – The charred remains of a mobile phone

Due to the design of some electrically adjustable passenger seats, it is possible for small electronic

devices, such as mobile phones, tables, e-readers or MP3 players to slip under a seat covering and / or

cushion, behind an armrest or down the side of a seat, and becoming a potential fire hazard. These types

of seats are primarily installed in premium class cabins.

Passenger awareness on how to use and stow their devices while in flight can help mitigate these

incidents.

To prevent crushing of the PED and reduce the potential fire hazard to the device and the surrounding

area, cabin crew and / or passengers must not use the electrical or mechanical seat functions in an attempt

to retrieve a lost PED. The seat movement may crush / damage the PED’s lithium battery and potentially

result in a lithium battery fire. Cabin crew should always advise the flight deck of such a situation. Ask the

passenger concerned to identify the item, and where they suspect it may have dropped or slipped into, and

if they have moved the seat since misplacing the PED. Arrange the passenger to leave the area

temporarily, and, if applicable, also arrange the passenger seated next to the affected seat to be moved. If

available, don fire gloves before trying to retrieve the item. Do not move the seat! If it is not possible to

retrieve the item, it may be necessary to move the passenger to another seat and block the affected seat

to be used.


In the event that the situation develops into a lithium battery fire, cabin crew should apply the following as

per their respective operator procedures:

▪ lithium battery fire-fighting procedures;

▪ post-event procedures (on board);

▪ first point of landing offloading procedures.

After landing, the crew must inform ground staff where the device is stowed and make an appropriate entry

in the aircraft technical log. The PED must be removed from the aircraft before it operates the forthcoming

sector, as lithium batteries that are damaged are forbidden for carriage. Devices involved in a fire should

be retained on the ground to enable investigation by competent authorities.

Small Aircraft Operations

The operational environment for small aircraft (e.g. narrow body aircraft) can be very different, with only

one or two cabin crew on board the aircraft, and on some occasions, might even require assistance from

passengers. Additionally, considerations will need to be given as to what items are available to use in the

event of an incident. It is suggested that all aircraft, as a minimum, should carry the following equipment on

top of that usually on board:

▪ fire / heat resistant gloves;

▪ heavy duty plastic bin liners; if the aircraft has no suitable container that something the size of a laptop

can fit into, these can be filled with water before placing the damaged device in the bin liner;

▪ fire containment bags, which can be used to contain a damaged PED while it is being cooled off and

isolated, and can be stowed conveniently;

▪ suitable receptacles, e.g. jugs to transfer water from the galley or toilet to the incident area should

insufficient bottled water be carried.

Figure 27 – Fire containment bag for damaged device in passenger cabin


Check-in & Handling Procedures The wide use of portable electronic devices means that all passenger aircraft will be carrying lithium batteries in

both carry-on and checked baggage. On a typical wide-body aircraft, the number of these devices on board

could be in the hundreds. Although they are dangerous goods, certain types and quantities of these devices

are permitted to be carried by passengers and crew.

Check-in

All spare batteries, not only lithium batteries but also dry batteries, are not permitted in checked baggage

and must only be carried in the passenger cabin. Consequently, if there is a need for carry-on baggage to

be loaded in the cargo compartment (e.g. due to shortage of overhead lockers for baggage), ground staff

or cabin crew must alert the affected passengers to remove spare lithium batteries, including power banks

and e-cigarettes, from the baggage before transferring it to the cargo compartment. Batteries removed

from the baggage must only be carried in the passenger cabin.

Details of the check-in and handling procedures for mobility aids powered by lithium batteries can be

found in Battery Powered Wheelchair and Mobility Air Guidance Document (www.iata.org/dgr-guidance).

On Board the Aircraft

There have been a number of incidents where mobile phones have been dropped by passengers into the

workings of their seat and were crushed when the seat was moved. This scenario is most likely to occur in

electrically powered seats found in premium cabins. To reduce the likelihood of this happening, it is

suggested that operators incorporate advice into the passenger pre-flight briefing, such as:

“If you are intending to sleep during the flight, please make sure any small electronic devices

such as mobile phones, mp3 players and tablets are stowed safely either in seat pocket, a bag

or in an overhead locker so that they don’t fall into the seat mechanism where they may be

damaged. If you do lose your electronic device in your seat, do not move the seat and inform a

member of the crew.”

Another occasion when lithium batteries could potentially cause an incident is when they are being

replaced in on board equipment such as credit card readers. When this is being done, care must be taken

to ensure that neither the old nor the new batteries are dropped into inaccessible locations, where if

damaged, short-circuiting could occur and lead to a fire.

http://www.iata.org/dgr-guidance

http://www.iata.org/dgr-guidance


Outreach & Awareness

Warning Notices

Warning notices must be displayed at check-in counters at airports, warning passengers of the type of

dangerous goods they must not carry. It should be noted that these warning notices are often generic in

nature and some passengers may simply ignore them. However, it is essential to remind and raise the

awareness of passengers to remove any of the prohibited items from their baggage, especially before they

are checked in for carriage.

Operators should consider specific warnings at airports where there are known problems, such as the

prevalence of counterfeit and substandard lithium batteries widely available for purchase in street markets.

At those airports, displaying warning notices at the baggage reclaim areas to warn passengers can also be

effective.

Figure 28 – Warning notice aimed at passengers (http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/dg/luggage/lithium_battery_poster.pdf)

In addition to the general warning notices, operators should also consider displaying topical warning notices

based on the rising trend of certain items being carried by passengers.

http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/dg/luggage/lithium_battery_poster.pdf


Figure 29 – Warning notice on e-cigarettes and spare lithium batteries

Figure 30 – Warning notice on smart bags at check-in counters

Websites

It is important to warn passengers about the restrictions that apply to baggage at the earliest opportunity,

ideally before they leave home. There are regulatory requirements that online ticket purchases can only be

completed once information about dangerous goods has been displayed and an acknowledgement by

passengers made that this information has been read and understood. Similar requirements apply to

online check-in. These requirements are not fool-proof, as the person purchasing the ticket or checking in

may not necessarily be the person travelling or may click that they have read the information without

actually reading it. Nevertheless, this information should include specific information about the carriage of

lithium batteries.

Beyond these requirements, websites present other excellent opportunities to educate passengers on the

limitations regarding dangerous goods in baggage.


It is very common for operators having alliances and code share flights, the general public can be ignorant

about the baggage restrictions of different operators, especially if one is imposing a more restrictive policy

based on their operational needs. Hence, it is valuable for customers that member operators in an alliance

to include information of each other’s policies and requirements.

Figure 31 – A website including other operators’ baggage restrictions (https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/baggage.html)

In-flight Magazines

Although it is too late to prevent batteries from being carried in a manner that does not comply with the

regulatory requirements, an article in an in-flight magazine may help passengers pay more attention when

packing their baggage for a subsequent flight.

Arrival Videos

At the end of a flight, passengers may be shown an information video about the city they are visiting. This

provides a unique opportunity to inform a “captive” audience about the perils of purchasing cheap,

possibly counterfeit and substandard lithium batteries from market stalls, and highlight the potential safety

risks that these batteries can pose.

Recreational Press

Magazines produced for specific recreational activities involving lithium batteries (e.g. radio-controlled

models) may publish articles provided by operators. Such magazines are guaranteed to reach the relevant

audience.

Newspapers, Television and Radio Advertisements

Advertising in newspapers can be expensive; yet, potentially effective due to their reach to a very wide

audience. Broadcasting on television and radio can also be an option for reaching out to the general

public.

https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/baggage.html


Schools

In some parts of the world, it is possible to cooperate with education authorities or individual institutes to

conduct a brief session for students on what can and cannot be carried in baggage. Through this channel,

it is not only that the students will be educated, the information is also likely to be passed on to their

parents and friends.

Social Media

Operators can make use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, to show tips and video

clips about various items that can and cannot be brought in baggage.

Figure 32 – A Tweet on lithium batteries in cargo while promoting an exhibition booth

Tourism Conferences

There are many tourism conferences held around the world every year. Even if operators find it cost

prohibitive to participate as an exhibitor to have a booth, partnering with the organisers or advertising in

the conference magazine with information about the carriage of lithium batteries in baggage is also an

option.


Figure 33 – An exhibition booth to promote the safe transport of dangerous goods, including lithium battery cargo

Collaborate with Regulators and Airport Authorities

There are different types of communication channels available at the airport, such as display cabinets,

transit vehicles and airport magazines. However, in some locations, it may not be possible for operators to

broadcast the information individually but rather collectively. Thus, it may be necessary to work closely

with local regulators and airport authorities to deliver a collaborative message.

Other Publicity Materials

Small gadgets or giveaways, such as drinks coasters and baggage tags, can also be designed to promote

flight safety information.

Figure 34 – Baggage tag and t-shirt to promote lithium battery safety


Conclusion Experience has shown that compliant shipments of lithium batteries offered for air transport pose a very

low risk. However, experience has also shown that there are many shippers that lack the requisite

knowledge, and offer counterfeit and substandard batteries for transport as well as some that will

deliberately mis-declare shipments of lithium batteries in an attempt to avoid complying with the

regulations.

To ensure that the potential risks do not result in a dangerous goods accident, operators must develop and

implement a comprehensive and robust safety risk assessment and risk mitigation process. There is no

“one size fits all” for this. Each operator is unique based on the airports to which they operate, the aircraft

types, passenger flights or freighters, and the operator’s “risk appetite”.

Therefore, it is essential for operators to conduct their own safety risk assessment based on their

operational needs and environment, to identify various risk mitigation measures that will reduce the risks to

as low as practicable to achieve an acceptable level of safety.


Supplementary Information

Cargo Organisation Subject URL

Federal Aviation

Administration

Lithium battery safety resources https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/resources/lithium_batteries/

Lithium battery basics https://www.faa.gov/tv/?mediaId=1951

SafeCargo for Shippers & Startups https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/safecargo/

IATA Lithium batteries https://www.iata.org/lithiumbatteries

Transport Canada

Shipping and importing devices

containing lithium batteries

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/tdg/shipping-importing-devices-

containing-lithium-batteries.html

Safety alerts: transportation of lithium

ion or lithium metal batteries as cargo

on aircraft

https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/aviation/reference-

centre/safety-alerts/transportation-lithium-ion-lithium-

metal-batteries-cargo-aircraft.html

UK Royal Mail Prohibited and restricted items https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/

96

UK Civil Aviation

Authority &

Federal Aviation

Administration

Posting lithium batteries in the mail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGhLA7brx44&list=PLig

80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=4&t=0s

Lithium batteries: guidance for cargo

and ramp personnel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmESPM3U5T4&list=PLi

g80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=6

Passenger Organisation Subject URL

Australian Civil

Aviation Safety

Authority

Least wanted dangerous goods https://www.casa.gov.au/safety-management/dangerous-

goods/least-wanted-dangerous-goods

Travelling safely with batteries and

portable power banks

https://www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/travelling-safely-

batteries

Before you pack your bags https://www.casa.gov.au/safety-management/dangerous-

goods/you-pack-your-bags

Federal Aviation

Administration

Pack Safe https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/

IATA Travelling with portable electronic

devices (PEDs)

https://www.iata.org/ped

Transport Canada

Safety alerts: the possibility of smoke

or fire from electronic flight bags

(EFBs) or their lithium ion batteries

https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/aviation/reference-

centre/safety-alerts/possibility-smoke-fire-electronic-flight-

bags-lithium-ion-batteries.html

UK Civil Aviation

Authority

One team one goal – guidance on the

safe loading and transport of electric

mobility aids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFyEVckQEjc

UK Civil Aviation

Authority &

Federal Aviation

Administration

Lithium batteries: guidance for crew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOiwEW54xL8&list=PLig

80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=4

Lithium batteries: guidance for

passenger handling staff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ7r91lZYOc&list=PLig8

0S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=5

https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/resources/lithium_batteries/

https://www.faa.gov/tv/?mediaId=1951

https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/safecargo/

https://www.iata.org/lithiumbatteries

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/tdg/shipping-importing-devices-containing-lithium-batteries.html

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/tdg/shipping-importing-devices-containing-lithium-batteries.html

https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/aviation/reference-centre/safety-alerts/transportation-lithium-ion-lithium-metal-batteries-cargo-aircraft.html



https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/96

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/96

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGhLA7brx44&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=4&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGhLA7brx44&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=4&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmESPM3U5T4&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmESPM3U5T4&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=6

https://www.casa.gov.au/safety-management/dangerous-goods/least-wanted-dangerous-goods

https://www.casa.gov.au/safety-management/dangerous-goods/least-wanted-dangerous-goods

https://www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/travelling-safely-batteries

https://www.casa.gov.au/standard-page/travelling-safely-batteries

https://www.casa.gov.au/safety-management/dangerous-goods/you-pack-your-bags

https://www.casa.gov.au/safety-management/dangerous-goods/you-pack-your-bags

https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/packsafe/

https://www.iata.org/ped

https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/aviation/reference-centre/safety-alerts/possibility-smoke-fire-electronic-flight-bags-lithium-ion-batteries.html



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFyEVckQEjc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOiwEW54xL8&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOiwEW54xL8&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ7r91lZYOc&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ7r91lZYOc&list=PLig80S1opAEK_Ys1ImbatqCxNwEUUc0cB&index=5

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